The City of Cincinnati has chosen a final design for 18 station shelters along phase one of the Cincinnati Streetcar route. Designed by Cincinnati-based DNK Architects, the stations are described as clean, minimal and are compliant with the US Department of Transportation “Buy America” guidelines. The firm researched station designs in other cities, and developed a design that would be easily recognized and protect riders from the elements for the short time they will be waiting at stops.

“The streetcar project is a series of smaller pieces that must come together before construction of the track begins. The shelter design is another milestone in that list of items,” said Chris Eilerman, the City’s Streetcar Project Manager. “This design combines a modern look, while at the same time, fits in with the historic architecture served by the streetcar.”

The stations along the Cincinnati Streetcar route will have a clean, contemporary design like this one shown outside the Main Library.

Project officials say that the modular design ensures various elements will be easy to maintain and replace. The materials themselves are thin, light, and durable – allowing natural light to come in while protecting waiting riders from the elements. Each station will include a route map, information about the streetcar system and an electronic sign displaying the arrival time of the next car, as well as other important messages for riders.

“We designed the station structures to call to mind what the streetcar will bring to Cincinnati — a public transportation system that everyone can use to connect to neighborhoods,” said David Kirk, founder and principle architect, DNK Architects, and lead architect for the streetcar station design. “We want people to look at the stations and see how easy, safe, and comfortable it is to explore all that Cincinnati has to offer.”

Selection of the station design was the final step in reaching a complete design on the first segment of the Cincinnati Streetcar. In order to reach final design, the streetcar team completed a number of other critical steps, including surveys of the entire route, inspections of basements near the route that lie under sidewalks, coordination of vehicle options, completion of an independent peer review of the project and performance of a quality control review of the entire project.

Next steps for the project are continued negotiations to reach agreements with utility companies. The shelters will be built as part of the construction contract, which is scheduled to be bid in the first quarter of 2012.

Don’t worry Yup’s, you will never see these. Mallory’s Folly Trolley will never be built, we will see to that. This is a promise. 65% of the people do not want the trolley built, and we will make sure their voices are heard. You only won the election because of the misleading ballot language plus all of union thugs turning out to vote to keep their plush benefits. Let’s see if you keep popping those champagne corks when we stop this boondoggle.

Coast is dumb

negative nancy coast up here, hating city improvements. get us out of the 1940’s hardguy

Irate Taxpayer

Good for you COAST. You have my full support. I’m just sick of these big spending libs spending everyone else’s money. The Trolley Folly is going to be worse than the Freedom Center if built.

someone must be missing their ability to comment anonymously on the Enquirer website. how droll.

Andrew

Stations look great. Coast’ attitude towards Cincinnati, not so much. You can excuse yourself from the area anytime buddy.

Rob Jaques

This design looks great. Like the first poster said, it’ll mesh well with the more modern architecture downtown and compliment the historic architecture in OTR. The map and real-time service amenities at each station are great.

Rob Jaques

I hesitate to engage them.. but, COAST, the proposed amendment was written by you and the ballot language was not confusing. How is “Would you like to amend the charter to include ‘COAST’s proposed amendment’?” confusing. The question was simple. Do you want to amend the city charter. And the voters said no. Twice. Case closed. Twice…

Bremen@14th

Can UrbanCincy go to a facebook profile type posting system? Make people stand behind their comments?

Mark

They look great! Very simple and tied in with Metro stops as well so it’s easy to identify a more cohesive transportation system in this city. I guess a lot of people care about the ghetto! 😉

Once again Urbancincy beating everyone else to the presses. Good work guys.
Probably won’t be too long before sites like this are where people get all their news.

Robert

Really exciting to see these preliminary illustrations–can’t wait be able to stand there, myself, in front of the library. Just one MINOR concern, though… Will those side-panels be protective enough to deflect really serious inclement weather, or will they need to be expanded out toward the street?

dan

I’m really glad they’re making progress. The transparent roofs seem to be aesthetically pleasing but I wonder if we’ll want some shade in the summer months…

Only COAST writes misleading ballot language and then complains that they lost due to [their own] misleading ballot language.

Only COAST loses at the polls twice and then claims that 65% of the voters are on their site. If that were true, wouldn’t COAST have won… twice?

Cincinnatians re-elected a pro-streetcar mayor, voted in a supermajority pro-streetcar city council, and voted down two anti-streetcar ballot initiatives pushed by COAST. If that’s not evidence that Cincinnati supports the streetcar, I don’t know what is.

And the lastest TIGER III grant award just puts this project one step closer to completion.

I like the design for the fact that it is simple, yet very functional. I have long envisioned shelter designs like this for Metro bus stops. For the streetcar I would think that the same design be employed, but with a longer length since loading/unloading takes place on a longer train with more passengers than a typical bus (articulated buses notwithstanding).

In this case I would double the length of the station shelters for the Cincinnati Streetcar, and use a size with this design for primary bus stops. Primary articulated bus stops could then use the same shelters as the Cincinnati Streetcar due to their longer length and greater passenger volume.

Van

Definitely agree that the shelter length should be at least doubled. I wish the signage were larger especially the time to next train portion. Also, is there any indication that let’s you know nearby Metro stops or any space for advertising?

1) They just installed a bus stop canopy at 7th and Central that is closer to this (not the same though). Agree they need more covered areas. It took 5 years to get a bench at Race and 6th, and its still not enough.

2) I dont think the necessity is to have ALL passengers covered at ALL times (loading and unloading) at all doors. Cincy climate is pretty pleasant. Occasionally gets too hot, occasionally gets rain. 80% of the time standing outside is nothing big. In Seattle, where it rains a bunch, and buses are everywhere, even those stations/stops dont have coverings of full length.

J

COAST is a troll. He’s just the older version of that little kid that doesn’t get enough attention from mommy and daddy.

Onward streetcar soldiers!

J

I agree that you should move to facebook comments, Randy.

COAST

Hey guys. Just wanted to apologize for what I said before on behalf of COAST. We are lucky to live in a democracy and we respect the outcome of the recent vote.